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Ministry of Sound Opens a Co-working Space

Ministry of Sound, the popular London nightclub, has opened a co-working space and members' club featuring interior design by Squire and Partners. Its purpose is to inspire interest from the upcoming generation of "rebellious creatives".

The workspace and attached members' club goes by the name The Ministry, and construction took place in the grounds of what was once a printing works, back in the 19th Century, situated near the venue of the iconic nightclub in south London.

Ministry of Sound has joined the wave of the rapidly-growing co-working sector as it believes that by working with young people the company will be able to develop a workspace that caters primarily for creative people.

The creative director of The Ministry, Simon Moore, was interviewed by Dezeen. He said that Ministry has "challenged convention" right from the word 'go'. They have broken rules and played a part in the creation of an "entire youth culture". And after 27 years in that culture, they aim to harness their knowledge and experience to "create the perfect environment for the next generation of rebel creative businesses".

Moore believes that Ministry is uniquely positioned within this space, as they understand the ways creative people work, and what they need from an environment to nurture their creativity and maximise their chances of success.

The members' club includes a 20-metre bar that will span the ground floor in its entirety. This is the building's central meeting space. Moore states his understanding that co-working is a "very social industry", which is why the bar and restaurant are at the building's heart. He emphasises that this is by no means an "add-on or afterthought", but instead it is a venue that can hold its own against any other bar in the capital. And the aesthetic of it has "informed the way the rest of the space looks".

The overall design also includes an outdoor courtyard, a restaurant, a cinema that seats up to 26 people, fully sound-proofed production studios and a state-of-the-art, immersive technology studio.

The instruction to the architects was to incorporate the "premium raw" aesthetic that Ministry of Sound is known for. The choice to work with Squire and Partners was made after viewing the firm's reimagining of a Brixton department store that became their own offices.

So in the members' club, the printworks has been deconstructed to reveal the original fabric of the building. Then there is the addition of plush textiles and simple furnishings in the interiors. This juxtaposition of styles are "powerful and distinctive", says Moore, remaining loyal to Ministry's heritage but with a very contemporary aesthetic. It is nothing like the "sterile, claustrophobically-new" feel present in most modern working environments, while avoiding the typical "vintage" look of most members' clubs.

This co-working space from Ministry of Sound adds to a growing list of shared workspaces in London. Second Home was one of the first examples of an informal workspace, designed by SelgasCano and constructed in Shoreditch in 2014. AvroKO recently developed an art-deco building into a workspace in Fitzrovia, and Palmspace also created one in an ex-factory in Hackney.